


Lips

by Caiti (Caitriona_3)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Clint is observant, Drabbles, Gen, The Women of the Tower, Tumblr, lips, reading lips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-10
Updated: 2013-02-10
Packaged: 2017-11-28 19:32:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/678105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caitriona_3/pseuds/Caiti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of 100 word drabbles prompted by "lipstick" - Clint loves the women in his life...each possess their own spark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Clint Reads Lips

**Author's Note:**

> Drabbles I am writing on Tumblr - realized I could post them here too. It's a challenge I've set for myself - each section has to be exactly 100 words long (according to Microsoft Word). I apparently like to talk/write too much as I keep wanting to go over, but then I edit and revise and make it work.

Clint Barton likes women. Tall, short, thin, or curvaceous – it really doesn’t matter to him. He likes the ladies – the way they walk, a feminine scent, the delicate lines, and the very mystery of the female. So, what part of a woman gives away all her secrets?

Her lips.

Don’t get him wrong – he notices the figure, the voice, and all the other beautiful details. A woman’s mouth though…such a small part, but it’s the final flourish, the exclamation that can speak without ever saying a word.

And the ladies of the Tower? Oh, yeah, their lips tell such tales.


	2. Sheer Pink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint considers Pepper Potts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by "lipstick" - Pepper Potts - Sheer Pink

All of the women embody the essence of ‘female’, but Clint knew on first sight that Virginia ‘Pepper’ Potts exemplified the professional woman. She’s got a Mona Lisa smile hiding the secrets of Stark’s universe, but she’s always approachable. It’s a unique type of woman who can balance being the mistress of all she surveys while giving off the vibes of a simple office girl. Clint adores Pepper, but it’s never been a romantic or lustful type of thing – even if Tony hadn’t been in the picture. She’s exactly what he would have wanted if he could have picked a big sister.


	3. Dusky Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint's view on Betty Ross.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by "lipstick" - Betty Ross - Dusky Rose

Everyone in the Tower had wanted to meet Betty Ross. The woman who could snare the attention of Bruce Banner **and** talk down the Hulk? That was a mandatory meeting all right. Clint took one look at the dark-haired woman and nodded. He could see it. Betty’s smile was beautiful enough, but the gentleness stood out most. Serenity and a wry humor radiated from the curve of her lips every time she glanced at Bruce. Intelligence and stubbornness showed when she pursed them before arguing with any of the geniuses – which was funny as hell. He hoped she was staying.


	4. Peach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint ponders Jane Foster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by "lipstick" - Jane Foster - Peach

Jane Foster was the first of the Tower women he met, but it was long before either of them were Tower. Jane would always bring to mind hot days, cold nights, desert sands, and, of course, bright stars. Clint saw manic brilliance in her eyes at their first meeting, but her lips held a curve of sorrow and a tremble of fear in their delicate lines. Later, after Thor’s return, they usually blossomed with joy – and a manic desire to make everyone just as happy. Clint figured she counted as the slightly crazy, but brilliant little sister of the Tower.


	5. Coral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint regards Lady Sif.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by "lipstick" - Lady Sif - Coral

Impressive. That is one word Clint can come up with for Lady Sif – and that’s saying something when you consider the women he’s surrounded by. Another word is honest. He can read every thought and emotion simply by glancing at how she holds her mouth. Sif has apparently never really seen a need for subterfuge. When she’s unhappy or angry her lips fold in even as she keeps the rest of her face neutral. If she is happy, she doesn’t hold it in – her smiles are wide and unrestrained. Sometimes it’s a relief to have someone so open hanging around.


	6. Nude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint ruminates over Maria Hill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by "lipstick" - Maria Hill - Nude

Clint figures he’d get in trouble if he ever points out how often Maria Hill telegraphs her moves by the way she holds her mouth. He keeps his own shut – he’s not in any hurry to go back to Budapest. Still, she’s got control of her face and her eyes for the most part. Her hands? They never give any warning. Her lips though? They compress just before she goes on the attack, they part slightly just before she has to deliver bad news, and one corner ticks slightly when she lets him escape before Fury sees his latest prank.


	7. Frappuccino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint reflects on Natasha Romanoff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by "lipstick" - Natasha Romanoff - Frappuccino

Natasha Romanoff was hard to read. She wanted and liked it that way. Nat could change herself – her colors, her smile – to fit any role. It gave her an edge in the spy game. Only a handful of people ever got to see **her**. Clint reveled in being the first one she trusted in _this_ life. Nat held a hidden smile for her favorites, but you had to know how to look. Only he and Phil had managed – though Darcy and Steve were close. Nat was practically his twin, and he thought the rhyme almost fit – sugar, spice, and everything…dangerous.


	8. Crimson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint contemplates Darcy Lewis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by "lipstick" - Darcy Lewis - Crimson

Oh, but when it came to lips, no one spoke louder or more forthrightly than his girl…apparently anyway. Darcy Lewis took a room by storm just entering it. She never said a word. People looked and saw attitude, strength, and fearlessness. And everyone was wrong. Clint looked and saw a shield, a mask. He wasn’t blinded by the sexy pout or the demanding red. No, he saw the carefully chosen distractions, the artful sauciness of the smile hiding the insecurity. His girl didn’t think she could be a part of the Avengers’ world. He knew better. She belonged with him.


	9. Women of the Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sisters, Friends, & Lover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by "lipstick" - I challenged myself to write each section in exactly 100 words, and I did it! (At least, I did it as counted by Microsoft Word.)

Clint felt sorry for people outside the Tower. Their worlds didn’t include the circle of women who surrounded him.

The organized and awesome Pepper.

The strong, yet gentle Betty.

The brilliant, but delicate Jane.

The fiery, ladylike Sif.

The solid and deadly Maria.

The bold, yet subtle Natasha.

The old-fashioned, modern Darcy.

And a person could see it all in one glance if they ever bothered to read their lips.

So, yeah, Clint loved the women in his life. They were his sisters, his friends, his lover – people he could trust, not only with his life, but with his heart.


End file.
